Shadows and Scars
by JME2
Summary: JL-Animated; As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny, Diana becomes the target of several seemingly random, potentially lethal accidents. Now Batman must find out who and why. Please rr.
1. Chapter I

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Author's Notes: As stated in the synopsis, this story takes place shortly after the events of episodes 33 and 34, 'Maid of Honor'. Also, General Wells' statement is different here than it was in the pilot episode and for good reason - the producers cut part of it since the original statement would have dealt with the animated Superman _Legacy _issues and they didn't want to go back to that yet.

Shadows and Scars: Part I

__

"You know, we never did get to finish our dance."

-Wonder Woman-

Earth.

Third planet of the Terran System.

Cradle of the human race, it had survived numerous global conflicts as well as three major invasions from interstellar tyrants and aliens. Yet despite these troubles, it had advanced to the point of being able to build machines and send them into space.

One such satellite was currently in an high orbit above the sparkling planet.

It was the Watchtower, a space station that had secretly been built using surplus finances from the Gotham City-based conglomerate Wayne Enterprises. The Watchtower was headquarters to the international (and on occasion, intergalactic) peacekeeping force known as the Justice League.

Consisting of seven members, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, and the Martian Manhunter, the Justice League existed to fight for peace and justice.

Unfortunately, they weren't exactly able to do that at the moment given that they couldn't leave the Watchtower.

Their primary mode of transportation, the advanced vehicle dubbed by the team as the _Javelin-7 _had been destroyed, shot down by the International Space Station _Platform 1 _while attempting to destroy the Rail-Gun that the apparently immortal and tyrannical Vandal Savage had built into what was supposed to have been an international pledge of unity and peace among the nations of the planet.

As a result, with the exception of the backup shuttle, there was no way to leave the Watchtower save being ferried down to Earth by the Green Lantern John Stewart via his ring's protective aura. 

Still, they were lucky that no one had been killed when the _Javelin _had been shot down. Engineers were already working to rebuild the craft as fast as possible.

On the main deck, Superman sat in the 'chair of command' as the Flash liked to put it. He was on Monitor Duty. Normally a quiet, yet still serious assignment, many Leaguers found different ways to pass the time. Flash normally played Solitaire against himself, J'onn had been indulging lately in Oreos, and Batman…well, no one really knew _what _he did to pass the time while on monitor duty.

At the moment, Superman was watching a news program on one of the display councils. It involved his interest because not only was the conference discussing the League, but the speaker, a slightly weathered yet still solid man in an general's uniform, the Last Son of Krypton knew all too well.

"--'League' has proven itself to be a loose cannon of idiots and power-mad--"

The image winked out, Superman sighing warily as his hands as his hand lifted from the off button. He sensed a presence behind him and saw that was J'onn J'onzz.

J'onn had come to Earth to warn of an invasion by an ancient race that wiped out his own people on Mars. As a result of J'onn's efforts, a group of heroes had been assembled that could repel the invaders. This group became the Justice League. He and Superman both held a bond as they were the last members of their kind; after all, Superman was the Last Son of Krypton.

However, there was one key difference. While Superman felt the loss of Krypton, he had little to nothing personally invested in it other than losing his biological parents. J'onn, however, experienced life on his homeworld firsthand. He grew up there among its people. He found a mate and sired offspring there. It's those memories that, as the incident with Morgaine Le Fay had shown, haunted the refugee that those outside the League had dubbed the Martian Manhunter. 

"It would appear General Hardcastle is at it again."

"Yes, he is."

The Man of Steel thought back to General Wells' words at the United Nations Assembly two years beforehand.

__

"We can't entrust the security of the entire planet to one man - especially him_!"_

Wells had said these words with great reason.

Two years before the League's formation, the alien tyrant Darkseid had captured him while on a deep-space mission. He had had lackeys Granny Goodness and Dessad brainwash him, make him believe that he was Darkseid's son and it was his destiny to conquer Earth in the name of Apokolips.

And he had nearly done so until Lois had snapped him out of it.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Most of the world had believed him a traitor, particularly General Hardcastle. Hardcastle had never trusted him and no saw no reason to now. In his eyes, Superman had willingly betrayed Earth to Apokolips and even thought that he had been allied with Darkseid from the very beginning, back during the Intergang incidents.

That was of course, false. The late Bruno Manhiem had been Darkseid's _willing _Earth agent. It was Manhiem who had sold out Earth by planting the detonator in the Ayers Island nuclear plant. The Last Son of Krypton and the SCU had confirmed this from accounts taken from survivors of the plant's destruction as well as Intergang's remnants hoping to cut a deal with the SCU. Maggie Sawyer, heavily grieving over Darkseid's murder of Dan Turpin, had nearly killed them in the interrogation room.

But none of this mattered to Hardcastle and while Superman had since, with the aid of the League, regained the basic level of trust he had once enjoyed, Hardcastle's distrust had only grown greater.

Thus, deep down, it hadn't personally surprised him that Hardcastle had had a role to play in the six-month imprisonment of J'onn, even if it had turned out to be one of the Alien Invaders. However, J'onn had confirmed that Harcastle hadn't been replaced for some time until then. Superman was horrified with the inhumane, almost sadistic torture that the last Martian had endured at the real Harcastle's hands. He also felt that he was partially responsible for that - again, the General's paranoia and prejudice towards aliens had sprung from Superman.

The real Hardcastle had been located in the government complex, trapped in the stasis tubes that Invaders had used to store their captives while they had replaced key government and civilian personnel.

Upon his revival and several months of therapy, Hardcastle had proceeded to publicly make stabs at the superhero team, particularly at the fact that it featured a Kryptonian, a Martian, a Thanagarian, and a human affiliated with an alien agency on its roster. He argued again and again that the security of the world should be not be handed over to a group of aliens, particularly one who had betrayed Earth in the past. And he was having a field day with the aftermath of the Kasnia incident.

The Kasnia incident had been the final result of a Justice League mission to stop Vandal Savage and his Rail gun. Unfortunately, while the mission had been successful (save for the loss of the _Javelin_-_7_; Bruce had confirmed to him that he already had gone through the same channels that had paid for/built his headquarters, vehicles, and other personal equipment. They were currently working on building a new _Javelin-7_) the League was being heckled big time.

The Dark Knight, Wonder Woman, and John Stewart were already coming under heavy public scrutiny, Diana for her rampage through Kasnian special forces, GL for having blown up _Platform-1, _and the Dark Knight for redirecting the final volley from the Rail-Gun at the Kasnian palace.

Of course, it had either been that or Paris, Savage's original target. But the General didn't care. In fact, Hardcastle wasn't the only one. There were others that were questioning the League's reliability, from everyday people on the streets to a new hotshot talk show host calling himself Glorious Godfrey.

As serious as it was, Superman couldn't help but see some slight amusement in the public scrutiny that his old friend was getting. At the League's press conferences, the media avoided asking, or mentioning the Dark Knight, because their reputations as 'serious reporters' weren't worth indulging any curiosity in what many, including the residents of Gotham City itself, perceived to be an 'urban legend'. The general public also usually followed this line.

***

Diana, former-princess of the Themyscira, and the superheroine dubbed by Earth's media as 'Wonder Woman' sat in the Watchtower's galley, sipping on an iced-mocha, a beverage that had been introduced to her by the Flash during the early months of League.

She took a quick sip of the chilled coffee and looked out the viewing portals to Earth below. Diana began reflecting on everything that had happened to her in her life. Her status as a founder of the Justice League, the exile from her home, and the people she had come to call her extended family.

Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Hawkgirl, J'onn, and….

…and Batman.

She remembered her first glimpse of the Dark Knight from three years prior, on that hill in the American Southwest when she had come barreling in to rescue Hawkgirl, clothed in the Amazonian uniform which she had 'borrowed' from the temple of Themyscira.

Batman had fascinated her from the start. Everyone else on the team, herself included, had special powers. Superman had strength and heat vision, J'onn had telepathy, Flash had lightning speed (both in his feet and mouth as they were all so fond of observing), and so on.

But Batman…

Batman was different in so many ways. He was a highly trained athlete, possessor of a keen scientific mind, and wielder overwhelming amounts of weaponry, armory and "gadgets" as her teammates had call them, from grappling hooks to his so-called trademark 'Batarangs'.  


And although he had denied it at the ruins of Kasnia's Royal palace, she was certain that he was industrialist she had met at the restaurant in Paris, Bruce Wayne. And in digging through the League's connection to Earth's databases, she believed she had discovered why.

She had learned that Bruce Wayne's parents were ruthlessly murdered when he was a child. Although the Amazons on Themyscira hadn't exactly known of the science that the people of Man's World termed 'psychology', she was sure that only something as terrible as this could drive an ordinary man to strike fear in the hearts criminals everywhere.

He was, like her, a warrior. They both respected each other and had suffered horrible losses in their lives. There was undeniably a bond between the two.

She only wondered if he felt it too.

***

__

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter II

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Author's Notes: It will be evident in this chapter that, like many fans of the animated DCU, I am operating under the belief that _Batman: The Animated Series, Superman: The Animated Series_, and _Justice League _are all based in the same timeline (_Batman Beyond _is, as we all know, classified by the production team, as an alternate future). Thank you all for your patience and enjoy!

Shadows and Scars: Part II

__

"You know, we never did get to finish our dance."

The words would not leave his mind.

No matter what meditative techniques he applied, no matter how absorbed he became in his 'work', they would not go away - it was like the Flash in that regard. The same also applied to his rebuttal.

__

"I don't know what you're talking about."

It was a typical answer of his. He could justify his not acknowledging her query for several reasons, primarily that Princess Audrey and the Kasnian guards leading the resurrected Vandal Savage into custody were still in earshot.

Still, why hadn't he said something other that his typical response?

He pondered this question in the confines of The Cave - his personal associates jokingly called it the Batcave, but to him, it was simply The Cave. Even with the massive, lavish manor above it that had been in the Wayne family for years, he rarely thought of that as home accept at various times during the day. Rather, he considered the subterranean chambers of rock and granite that lay underneath Wayne Manor, complete with flying rodents, state-of-the-art technology, and the smell of Alfred's late-night cooking reheated, his true domain.

He decided to examine it from a different perspective. From an outsiders point of view, Diana was the ultimate warrior as well as a princess royal-

Correction, ex-princess royal.

She was also one of the most beautiful people on the planet or beyond, the kind of woman every other woman on the planet wished she was and every man wished he could have by his side.  
  
Even the Dark Knight, as unemotional and brooding as he was 99.99999 percent of the time, as the Flash, Tim, and others had put it time and again, felt that desire from time to time. He was after all, only human, despite his need to surround himself in the shadows and his gothic trappings.

He had met, known, and loved women, like anyone else. The majority of them had been as billionaire Bruce Wayne, an attempt to divert suspicion from his true occupation in life. But then there were some who had been met during his years preparing for what he had termed 'the plan' and others during its utilization over the last decade.

Zatanna. Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman. Talia Head, daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Kathy Dukane AKA one of the rogue Batwomen . Andr-

That last one came without thinking and Batman hurried to block it out. There were, as was human nature, some things that one could never forget. But those same things could be buried and he did just that, having no wish to brood upon that chapter of his life. 

His thoughts drifted back to Diana. He wondered, again from an outsider's point of view, what it would be like to hold her in his hands, to feel her, from her face to her breastplate, against his kelvar/nomex/spandex uniform. Certainly, there had been opportunities beforehand, most notably during the mission to New Genesis.

New Genesis…

Some in the League had wondered why he had volunteered for the mission. After all, he had never taken place in the outer-space missions, from exonerating John Stewart's name to the War-World incident. They had their ideas, but hadn't asked about what had gone on between him and Superman, especially after the conclusion of the mission.

He knew why, however. It wasn't that he wanted payback at Brainiac for that incident five years previous , in which the android had used him and Wayne Tech's resources to build n interstellar craft that would help him to escape from Earth. No, he had known he had to be on that mission the moment he had seen the look in Superman's eyes after Darkseid had appeared on the Watchtower.

He closed his eyes and the penultimate scene of the mission instantly replayed itself in his analytical mind…

__

He was turning the corner in the Kryptonian android Brainiac's base. Before he was Superman marching towards a pile of rubble that pinned the fallen Darkseid.

"Superman!"

Superman had looked back at him, his eyes full of fury and emotion.

"Go! I'm finishing this!"

Batman had chased after him.

"Kent, don't be a fool.

He winced slightly as he was reminded of the slight pain in his shoulder, the result of the Man of Steel throwing him into the wall of the corridor.

__

"GET OUT OF HERE, KNOW!!!"

__

Batman had just starred at him, knowing that he had had the right idea in volunteering for the mission as he leapt upon Earth's mightiest hero and activated the Boom Tube generator, hurtling the World's Finest Team to safety.

"No!"

Then the aftermath on New Genesis…

__

"Nothing could have survive that. Not even Darkseid."

__

"You know something Bruce? You're not always right."

More than anyone else in the League, he knew and understood the extent of Superman's hatred of the New God and what the intergalactic tyrant had done to him: He had invaded Superman's adopted home and city, brainwashed him into attacking Earth, and killed a police officer whom Superman had had a relationship not too dissimilar from the one the Batman held with Commissioner Jim Gordon. But the Dark Knight could only sympathize with Superman up to a certain point, the point where that hatred could turn obsessive.

After all, he knew all about obsession and what it could do to you better than anyone else in the League, maybe even on Earth.

Except for perhaps Lex Luthor.

Even before he had first set foot in Metropolis four years before, Bruce had heard rumors of LexCorp's dirty dealings, but had allied WayneTech with LexCorp's think tanks for a better cause. He had never forgiven Lex for the Lex-Wing incident and had been grateful alongside Clark to have taken down the Metropolis mogul shortly after the League had been formed.

Butt it wasn't as if he didn't trust Superman, no far from it. He certainly trusted the Man of Steel slightly more than anyone else in the League, especially given that he had known him the longest. It was Clark who had asked him to carry the kryptonite in his utility belt in the event he should ever go rogue again (although he would have done it even if Clark hadn't asked him) and had been one of the few to still trust him after his brainwashing - his encounters with Jervis Tetch had taught him the dangers of mind control. It was just part of a circle of trust that the League shared with each other, that's what is was.

But could he do it?

Could he let Diana into his own, private, dark circle, a circle that only a few had glimpsed before?

…

No. Absolutely not.

He couldn't.

Or rather, he wouldn't.

He wouldn't because, despite what people kept telling him, everyone that became close to him had suffered in one way or another. Jim Gordon, Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department and his closest ally, had been nearly fatally shot six years before during a raid against the small time crook 'the Jazzman'. Despite Jim's recovery and the Jazzman's incarceration, he still blamed himself for that. Part of his conversation with Dick whispered in his ears.

__

"Jim Gordon's a cop, Bruce. He knows the risks."

"How long before I let someone else I care about down - Alfred, Leslie, you."

Dick…

Then there was Dick Grayson, his adopted son and the first to wear the mantle of Robin, who barely spoke to him, still resenting over the controlling nature of his mentor that had driven the wedge between them. Bruce had tried to heal that, had even revealed their identities to Barbara Gordon in an attempt to keep the partnership together. It had just made it worse.

And he did not need to remind himself at all about that night all those years ago in that alleyway…

Tim Drake was also a matter of increasing concern. Whereas Dick and Barbara were more experienced and could hold their own, Tim was, despite his four years of activity, still a rookie and he was slightly worried about something happening to him on his occasional solo patrols.

No, he did not want Diana hurt anymore than she already had been as a result of her personal tragedy.

In any event, such an act of romance could also be a liability. After all, while he cared very little for his Bruce Wayne indemnity, a billionaire dating an Amazon would attract far more attention in the media than he would like. It could also endanger his alter-ego if a romance was formed and be used against him - eco-terrorist Ra's al Ghul had kidnapped Dick when he was still Robin as part of his failed plan to recruit the Dark Knight Detective into his insane doctrine.

Like with the Lantern and the Thangarian.

Batman, cool, scientific observer that he was, had seen signs of attraction between the League's Green Lantern and Hawkgirl, signs that had become more apparent in the aftermath of the League's mission back to 1944. While nothing immediate had happened, a relationship between the two Leaguers could prove detrimental should it come to pass. 

As it was, the Dark Knight intended to bring up the subject of the tactical disadvantage of perusing such a relationship with a fellow Leaguer at one of the next meetings or in private to John Stewart. Most certainly he would _not _bring it up to Hawkgirl, partly because Stewart, as a former Marine, could understand the tactical necessity of such a suggestion and he did, as fearless as he was, _not _want to be on the receiving end of Shayera Hol's energy mace.

But with Diana…

They had both suffered from horrible losses in their lives: his parents' murder and her banishment from the only home she had ever known. They had both experienced a tragedy, never gave up in battle, and were one-of-a-kind in more ways than one, one the zenith and result of godly will, the other the result of human will - and a streak of stubbornness that Alfred Pennyworth had continually stated he had had since childhood.

Like it or not, there was definitely a bond between them.

He knew it, but knew he could not return it. He would not return it.

Love was not the dominating factor in his life.

Vengeance and night were.

He was Batman.

***

__

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter III

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Author's Notes: I'm going to be honest in saying that I almost thought about discontinuing this story and I'll explain why.

Right after Chapter 2 went up, I received an email from a reader who shall remain anonymous. He said this story was absolute bullshit, that I was an incompetent author in not accepting that a relationship with Bruce and Diana would never work, and that I had no idea of the workings of the JLA animated. A similar one followed suit.

I find this insulting for three reasons. One is their failure to grasp the fundamental ideal of_ willful suspension of disbelief_, something that no one has done with the _Matrix _sequels, but we'll ignore that for a moment.

Two, I'm still improving my stories as time goes on. Look back to my fanfiction.net profile and the Ghostbusters fic, The Great Escape - the very first fan fiction story I ever wrote. Now look at this story - you can see there are clear differences. And like the producers of the series have done with the second season and learn from their mistakes, so am I.

Third, I have been watching the animated DC universe since the animated _Batman _in 1992 and have stuck with it through _Superman, Batman Beyond, _and now _Justice League_. That's why there have been references to the past series - to acknowledge the timeline and set up the storyline. Because -

…

But that would be telling.

So, in any event, I was really hurt by the outright negativity on his part. True, all writers receive criticism, but his was just venomous. So, I gave it some thought and I thought, 'Dammit, this is my story, my epic, and nothing's going to stop me."

(Except the Government seizing my computer or something else to that extent)

So sit back and enjoy.

***

Shadows and Scars: Part III

"_Javelin-7-_A, you are cleared to land in the Watchtower docking bay."

"Acknowledged Supes. I'm putting her on autopilot. Great to be home."

The Flash, also known as the Speeder of Central City and the Fastest Man Alive, leaned back, sighing with relief as the image of the Justice League's orbital space station loomed closer and closer in the cockpit viewport of the second craft utilized by the Justice League to be christened _Javelin-7_.

It had taken some argument in his part to convince the rest of the League that he be the one to pick up the craft from its launching point in Metropolis, where it had been rebuilt. The rebuilding had been unbelievably quick in Flash's humble opinion.

But then again, when one had two of the fastest man alive helping to assemble it, then it would seem like a blur. 

He had first met the Man of Steel six years before during a charity benefit that was based on the outcome of a race 'round the world 100 times. The race had been interrupted by one of Flash's older (and his opinion, sillier) villains, Mark Mardon, a.k.a. the Weather Wizard. The two, while they hadn't hit it off well at first - and Flash felt it was probably because he had hit on Lois Lane, which was not his fault because of super-speed hormones - they had become good friends after having teamed up to stop Mardon.

Many things had changed since then. He had gotten a new costume, he still didn't have a girlfriend, and Superman had been hailed as a traitor. The Flash had never believed for one moment that Superman had intentionally betrayed Earth to Apokolips. Call it hero worship, but staying up with his friends when he was a kid and watching science-fiction programs knew of alien mind control. 

His thoughts trailed off from the past to the present, back to the assembly of the _Javelin-7-A_ - in the tradition of _Star Trek _- which he was a big fan of, since James T. Kirk was his favorite hero alongside Supes, but hadn't told anyone because he was sure it wouldn't make him look cool in front of the ladies - they had added a letter to the end of the _Javelin-7 _in order to signify the continuing of the tradition.

Of course _where _the League was getting the financial capital was a mystery beyond him, one couldn't help but have been thinking about since Superman had first called them up onto the Watchtower to announce his idea of a 'Justice League'. He didn't admit to being the sharpest nail in the League's drawer, but he had sat through enough economic classes during high school to know that the money for all of these fancy toys had to be coming from _somewhere_.

Maybe J'onn spent the day as a stockbroker on Wall Street and that's where the Justice League was getting funding; he could certainly pass for one with his shape-shifting abilities. Flash chuckled at the thought of the big green Martian dressed in a business suit, loafers, and a briefcase.

But unless it broke, it wasn't his problem. As it was, he was working on saving up a little money himself. He had liked the _Javelin-7 _and Bats' Batmobile and had decided that - Batman excluding - that ladies were attracted to guys with big cars. Therefore, logically, _he _needed one.

The Flash-Mobile.

He could just picture it now.

He was still trying to decide it should be a van or something more of a sports car when the communications panel began beeping.

_"Please bring it in carefully this time Flash."_

"Ha ha. That wasn't _my _fault last time."

The first time Flash had piloted the craft, he had nearly crashed it into an alien city during their attempt to retrieve GL from imprisonment. After they had returned from the defense of Oa, he had vowed to learn how to fly the sucker and had ironically, finally learned how to by the time of the Rail-Gun mission. 

Still, that wasn't his fault that the ship had been shot down. The Rail-Gun had equipped with weaponry that had packed more punch than the original _Javelin_ could handle. They were just lucky that GL had been on duty or else everyone on board would have died when the cockpit was exposed to the vacuum of space - something he had always taken for granted during transit flights, but had unfortunate learned first hand when that Kasnian mercenary had pushed that button…

He had recovered quickly, enough once GL had gotten him back inside with the ring, to beat the pudding out of a few Kasnian mercenaries.

After all, you didn't mess with the Flash.

The doors slid open, pressure equalized, and the docking bay was cleared for landing. He saw Diana and Bats in the background, checking equipment crates - or in the case of Diana, he hoped, to give him a personal welcome back - and was about to wave to them when the forward console began beeping again.

"Supes I brought it in fine, no dents!"

But the response that the Man of Steele gave was hardly what Flash 

__

"Flash, we're reading an energy surge in the docking bay coming from the Javelin-7_."_

The Scarlet Speedster frowned and glanced over the control panels. He entered a sequence on the buttons, frowned again, and tried it once more. Again, nothing. 

His eyes widened.

"Uh, guys, the forward cannons are powering up and I can't shut 'em down!"

***

Having arrived shortly earlier via the auxiliary shuttle, Batman had been in the docking bay checking up on some WayneTech scientific gear that he had been experimenting with in the Cave and had decided would be put to a better use on the Watchtower's sensor arrays. He had _not _been there to watch Flash bring in the rebuilt _Javelin-7_.

Well, at least not entirely. It wasn't as if he had a male-ego that forced so much pride on cars - at least not when he was wearing a mask. He recalled what he had said to his trusty butler when Bane had left his touch, so to speak, on the previous model of Batmobile seven years earlier: "He trashed my car, Alfred. Between a couple of guys that's real personal."

On the subject of ego, he knew that Bruce Wayne owned several Porsches, Rolls Royce, and a Delorean that he had learned Tim and Dick, one night, had wanted to take on a joy ride. Though they had succeeded in finding the key, he had foiled theirlittle plans by removing the _entire _engine.

Still, he cared that his vehicles were in tiptop condition and he paid good money to make sure that it stayed that way.

Therefore, he had known instantly that something was wrong when the forward cannons began firing up and blasting in Diana's direction.

As with its predecessor, the new _Javelin-7_'s forward cannons, like much of the ship itself, was a combination of Earth and Kryptonian technology. WayneTech had acquired the technology during the infiltration of the Kryptonian android Brainiac, whose Milky Way staging grounds had just recently been destroyed by the League.

Diana's arm bracelets had repelled dozens of items of weaponry, from bullets to plasma bursts. But even the Amazing Amazon knew when she was out of her league.

Though it went against every ounce of Amazonian military styles, Wonder Woman leapt into the air and crash landed behind a cluster of equipment containers, an energized bolt of plasma barely missing her long, black hair.

Batman instantly considered his options.

An exploding Batarang was out of the question. The _Javelin_-_7 _was designed to withstand explosions far more powerful than the miniature charges he placed in his trademark weapon. They couldn't wait for the cannons to run out of energy because the power cells in the reactor had a half life of five-thousand years and the containers that Diana was hiding behind couldn't take much of a pounding.

And as fast as he was - the result of a daily exercise schedule that would have probably killed an average person - there was no way that he could get into range quickly enough without getting shot down, even with his grapples. Even if he did, the _Javelin-7_ had been designed with an outer electrical charge that electrocute anyone or anything clinging to it in flight mode - an attempt to prevent saboteurs from bringing it down.

Strategist that he was, there were only three possible options.  


And unfortunately, one of them was going into effect now.

The containers had just burst into flame and Diana was flying towards the firing _Javelin-7-A_. As quick as the Amazon Princess was, she wasn't quick enough. Two bolts of energized plasma slammed into Wonder Woman, hurtling her back across the bay, her form crumpling on the floor.

"Diana!"

This had to end now and Batman instantly accessed option number two by tapping the WayneTech communicators that he used in Gotham and had adapted for League-use.

"Flash, come in."

__

"I saw her go down! I'm pushing in every abort sequence, but the Javelin's _not responding."_

"Then you'll have to physically cut power to the entire ship. You're going to have to follow my instructions, Listen car-"

Before the Dark knight could here was a blur of crimson red streaked into the shutterbug. Since Flash was in the Javelin-7 desperately trying to shut down the power core, Batman knew it could only be one person. 

In a movement too quick for the human eyes, the forwards cannons instantly stopped firing, their housings ripped off the _Javelin-7-A_'s superstructure. The hum of the weapons systems died down and the blur landed next to Batman, a blur known throughout the cosmos as Superman, the Man of Steel and the World's Greatest Boy Scout.

But he didn't have any Boy Scout-isms at the moment. His gaze, along with the gazes of Flash and Batman, were drawn to the shuttle bay floor, where Diana lay still and unmoving.

***

J'onn J'onzz moved the medical diagnostic board off of the Amazon, looking serene and peaceful in one of the sickbeds that at one point or another each of the Leaguers had awoken to find themselves laying in.

"She took a bad blast to the chest, but she'll be fine. I've sedated her to block out some of the pain. She'll come to in a few hours, but she'll have a massive headache when she does."

In the Watchtower's sickbay, there was a universal sigh of relief from ever Leaguer present. Well, all save for the Batman, who was standing in the doorway draped in the shadows and the folds of his majestic cape. Flash of course noticed this and was the first to rattle off another of his trademark smart-ass comments.

"Jeez Bats, for once show some human emotion like the rest of us."

The Batman turned to the Flash and gave him a full taste of what Dick, Barbara, Tim, and the superstitious and cowardly criminals had termed 'The Look'. Flash's smiled instantly dimmed and he began to pale slightly. Even after two years of working with Gotham's Defender, he had never quite gotten used to that gaze.

"I was just kidding Bats."

The Dark Knight did not respond for a moment. When he did, he addressed the entire group.

"Contact the Lantern. Until we figure out what happened up there, all League vehicles are grounded, meaning we'll continue needing him to get us off the Watchtower."

He turned his back on the assembled heroes.

"Where are you going?"

"To the shuttle-bay."

Batman simply walked off without saying another word to the heroes gathered in the sickbay. Flash starred at him and then at Superman.

"You're just going to let him do that?"

"Yes."

The Man of Steel had known the Dark Knight for almost seven years and he knew pretty well what Bruce was thinking.

***

The Batman, the Dark Knight of Gotham City, was absolutely, positively, _furious._

This should _not _have happened.

This was personal for him. Something like this should not have happened. It was _his _money and work that had nearly killed Diana.

He was going to find out what the hell was going on.

***

__

To be continued…


	4. Chapter IV

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Author's Notes:

* Okay, I'm not that big of a _Static Shock _fan, but I, as much as I hate to say it, it is part of the DCUA, so there will be a slight reference to the SS/JL crossover 'A League of Their Own" (as to whether I consider _Teen Titans _ to also be part of the DCUA, I'll have to get back to you on that one).

* Sin Tzu's 'visit' to Gotham can be found in the videogame _Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu_.

* Even though it's never officially been stated on the series, I'm sticking with Keystone City as Hawkgirl's preferred base of operations on her adopted Earth planet.

* I'm including a sly reference to _Batman Beyond _in this chapter. See if you can spot it!

Shadows and Scars: Part IV

__

"Watchtower to Green Lantern, come in. I repeat, Watchtower to Green Lantern."

John Stewart sat up in his bed, instantly alert at the sound of the League communicator going off on his nightstand. It was a soft beeping, but he had become fully awake at the faint sound.

__

That's what I get for living with both Corps; you pick up these habits that you can just really hate at times.

A former U.S. Marine, John Stewart had been chosen by Oans, AKA the Guardians of The Universe, to join The Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping organization dedicated to protecting life wherever it existed throughout the universe. Awarded an emerald ring whose energies could be manipulated by his force of will, Stewart had left Earth to train under the watchful eye of the veteran Green Lantern Katma Tui, where he proven himself time and again to be an exceptional addition to the Corps. cosmos. After the death of the well-known and respected Lantern Abin Sur, John Stewart was chosen to become the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814, a quadrant of space that included Earth where, though he kept an eye on the rest of his sector, he had made his base of operations.

"I'm here Superman. What's up?"

__

"We've got a situation on our hands. There's been an accident on the Watchtower."

"What kind of accident?"

__

"The new Javelin-7 _went nuts the second it landed and opened fire on everyone in the launch bay. Diana took a bad blow to the chest."_

The former Marine frowned at this statement. He half expected there to be problems with the new craft. True, since it was a new variation of their old vehicle, bugs were to be expected. But this defied all logic.

"I'm on my way."

__

"We need you to pick up Hawkgirl up in Keystone City on your way up here; Batman urged that all other League vehicles be grounded until we figure out what happened and I'm inclined to agree with him."

"Understood. Lantern out."

***

"Computer, diagnostic status?"

__

"Diagnostic complete."

"And?"

__

"No error in system detected. Justice League craft Javelin-7-A _is operating at a peak performance level."_

The Dark Knight leaned back against the bulkhead an exhaled a sigh of frustration. Four hours had passed since the accident in the docking bay, since the _Javelin-7'_s weapons array had inexplicably opened fire on Diana. He had spent the last three hours dismantling sections of the _Javelin-7_. Removed bulkheads and panels were scattered across the docking bay, while a serpent's nest of wires jutted from every open console and circuit breaker. He had a Wayne Tech laptop plugged into the central mainframe of the interstellar craft, the device that had just announced the results of the diagnostic.

But it was difficult. 

The systems and wiring of the _Javelin-7 _was a heck of a lot more complicated than any of the other Dark Knight's personal vehicles, from the Batmobile to the Batwing. The craft's central systems also had two million lines of computer code and although he could have completed the diagnostic in a short amount of time, he had allowed it to operate t its slowest and most meticulous search settings.

__

Alfred is better suited for this kind of work.

Alfred Pennyworth had become the Wayne Butler shortly before Bruce's birth - and had taken on the role of surrogate father after his parents had been shot down in Gotham's notorious Crime Alley. Though he hid it behind his brooding nature and shadowy side, the Batman truly cared very much for Alfred and vice-versa. And for a man who had seen it all from demons and witch boys to immortals and zombies, the Batman still could not believe that someone like Alfred was capable of whipping up soufflés one moment and rewiring fuel injection manifolds the next.

But the butler was hundreds of miles away on the Earth's surface, no doubt lamenting over having to reheat the bulk of his carefully-prepared dinner for his employer; the Dark Knight had contacted Alfred saying that he would not be home until early that morning and that Bruce Wayne's date for the night was to be cancelled. He also did not want to have to explain to the League what a sixty-year old balding, mild-mannered English butler was doing in the station inspecting the _Javelin-7_.

Batman knew that was an aspect of his that continually irked on his fellow Leaguers, on how he preferred his isolationism, his autonomy, his policy of 'no questions asked' or 'don't contact me; I'll contact you.' The only ones that didn't really have a problem with it were Superman, who had known him for years and had gotten used to it, and J'onn, who too understood the advantages to isolation and privacy.

But his attention and focus returned to the question at hand: Why have the _Javelin-7-_A opened fire on Wonder Woman?

The Dark Knight had several theories up his gauntlet.

One such theory lay in the Kryptonian technology that was an integral part to the _Javelin-7_, namely the weapons and propulsion systems that Wayne Enterprises had acquired when Brainiac had infiltrated the corporation. Batman had simply 'borrowed' the tech and had incorporated it into the designs for the League's interstellar craft. WayneTech was nowhere near ready to release that kind of tech on the Market, at the recommendation of both Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox for various reasons. 

One such was competition. Wayne Enterprises had already had problems with patents; as he knew all too well, corporate espionage was big business and there were countless companies out there that would want their hands on the Kryptonian tech. The majority of them were small companies, like the up and rising Powers Technology, but there was also LexCorp to take into account.

Even though Luthor was no longer the company's CEO and that he was technically one of Clark's foes, Batman had continually kept his eyes on LexCorp and its founder, a habit which had begun after the incident with the Joker and the hijacking of the Lex-Wing six years beforehand. After the incident with Clark's brainwashing, he had, at the request of a very despondent Superman, looked into Luthor's military-backed 'Project Achilles'. This was part of the reason that Hardcastle was focusing primarily on Batman with his criticism of the Kasnia incident.

During the course of his investigations, the Dark Knight had infiltrated the project's base and had had a little 'chat' with the General one dark and stormy evening. Certainly, the General had known about him and not just because of his reputation. The army had had several run-ins with Batman in the past, namely the female terrorist's Red Claw's failed attempt at viral warfare and Gotham crime figure Maxie Zues' theft of the army's experimental electron cannon, a device that he knew from military contacts was close to mass-production.

The chat had focused primarily on the effects of paranoia and how Batman had warned him that a continued partnership with Luthor would be detrimental to his career; like so many military figures, Hardcastle had a few skeletons in his closet that Lois Lane in particular wouldn't have hesitated to print had he divulged it to the Daily Planet's top-reporter. He had left the base before Hardcastle could sound and Intruder alert.

Shortly afterwards, the military and federal investigative presence in Gotham City had increased exponentially and Bruce had known quite well that it was not because of the then-recent visit of Asian warlord Sin Tzu to his city. Hardcastle had been just as intent with keeping an eye on the Dark Knight as he was with Superman. Thankfully for him, however, Hardcastle had had bigger problems to worry about when J'onn had landed on Earth and Superman and the United Nations had presented to their disarmament plan to the rest of world.

He also knew that ever since the League's formation, Hardcastle had been digging around bank records, trying to figure out who had funded the construction of the Watchtower and the rest of the League's equipment. Years of financing of his one man war on crime, however, had taught the Batman how relatively easy it was to hide money and leave a vast paper trail through the economic system and stock exchange of the modern era.

But even with the fallout from the Kasnia incident, the Dark Knight's attention had to be focused here and now in the present and on his Brainiac theory. It was possible that the Kryptonian android had seized control of the Javelin's systems and not in the physical sense. Even though his asteroid headquarters had been destroyed, Brainiac could not be killed in a conventional sense. It was a computer program, one that it had obviously made back-up copies of itself. The only way to destroy Brainiac was to eliminate or corrupt every existing copy of the program, something that was far beyond the League's resources or abilities.

There were several flaws in his Brainiac theory, though.

First, he had programs in place to scan for and purge rogue computer programs and anomalies, programs he had installed in computers belonging to both himself and WayneTech after the Dark Knight's encounters with Karl Rossum's A.I. program known as H.A.R.D.A.C. These programs would have easily been able to detect an attempted hacking or reprogramming initiated by the Kryptonian android or anyone.

The second flaw was why hadn't this happened before? The League had had two encounters with Brainiac, the first over Apokolips and the second being split between the Watchtower and Dakota City. Brainiac had had two opportunities to take advantage of his foes' tools and turn them against. Yet, he hadn't so why now?

And why Diana? Why hadn't the _Javelin-7's _cannons also fired on him? He was within striking distance, an easy target. Yet they had fired solely on the Amazing Amazon. He was tempted to say that whatever had taken control of the craft's systems was programmed to focus on one specific threat, yet the Dark Knight just couldn't accept that.

"Any luck?"

Batman turned his head to see the Man of Steel walking up the lading ramp and into the main body of the _Javelin_. The Dark Knight shook his head.

"Nothing's turning up at all. The computer's can't find any anomalies or evidence of a reprogramming of the system. Did any of the other scans pick up anything?"

Superman shook his head.

"Nothing. Flash and Green Lantern didn't find anything either." 

The Batman sighed and cursed inwardly. He had known that there were parts of the craft that even with half of the ship dismantled, he would not be able to get to. He had asked Clark to scan the entire ship top to bottom with his X-ray vision and see if there was anything out of the ordinary that a ship-wide diagnostic would not be able to pick up.

Since J'onn was keeping an eye on Diana in sickbay, he had ordered Flash to check the Watchtower's sensor logs and determine if any illegal or suspicious signals had been beamed in the station's vicinity. Green Lantern, whom he had contacted shortly after Superman had asked him to get up here, had been asked to scan neighboring space with his ring for any suspicious activity that the station's arrays couldn't find.

Call him paranoid, but he was first and foremost a detective and was simply trying to isolate all possibly solutions. And now, the solution to what had caused the accident with the _Javelin-7-A _was nowhere closer to being solved than it had four hours earlier. 

"All right, contact me if anything else comes up."

Batman just sat there, tapping away commands into the _Javelin_ computer. He looked up and saw the Superman hadn't left. He sighed.

"What is it Clark? I've got work to do."

"Diana's awake."

"That's nice."

Batman immediately resumed tapping commands into the WayneTech laptop. Superman still didn't budge. Though his sense of humor was nowhere near-existent, Bruce was occasionally amused in how Superman could be more stubborn than he was a times.

"She's with Hawkgirl now, but…"

Batman stared at the Man of Steel.

"But what?"

"Bruce, when she regained consciousness, the first person she asked to see was you."

There was a long, awkward silence in the _Javelin-7_, a pause that when one considered how little Batman liked to make small talk during his 'night job', it was surprising. Finally, he responded.

"All right, I'm coming.

***

__

To be continued…


	5. Chapter V

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to get up this next chapter. As always, I hope you enjoy.As promised, this chapter features a moment alone between Bruce and Diana.

Shadows and Scars: Part V

"Doesn't look like you'll be able to sparr any time spoon."

"You'll find that *ungh* Amazons are fast healers and can fight in any condition."

"Mmm. I'll tell that you "  


If it hadn't hurt her to do so, Diana would have probably growled and thrown her breastplate at the Thanagarian female. The Amazonian breatsplate that she had "borrowed" from the temple on Themyscira was set off to the side, a serious burn scar showcasing the blast she had received from the _Javelin-7-_A's plasma cannons. Even thought it was magical in its composition, the breast-plate could only protect her so much.

As soon as the sedative had worn off, J'onn had told her that she had at least one or two broken ribs as well as minor burns. He had warned her that she needed what Amazon custom and culture frowned against.

Rest.

And Hawkgirl wasn't exactly helping her recovery along.

J'onn's telepathic communication withstanding, Shayera was the first member of the Justice League that Diana had laid eyes upon. True, they could be literally and figuratively be considered 'the girls' of the League. Yet, they were both warriors, even though she had problems with the Thanagarian; they have never really gotten along well over the last two years and the only thing they had in common was a ferocity in battle and in sparring.

And while it was interesting to test her mettle against Hawkgirl, whose profession on her homeworld had required her to master the Thanagarian equivalent of self-defense techniques, she truly wished to spar against a unique and different opponent, someone like Ba-

…

He was there. She had blinked her eyes for a moment and he was suddenly standing there. Even Hawkgirl look surprised for a moment at the visitor in the sickbay.

__

How does he do that?

If there was a persistent quality to the Batman, it was his annoying habit of appearing when you least suspected and on creeping up on her.

Her.

An Amazon trained in ancient warfare who should have been able to come . How could he do that? She had tried to learn the method behind that ability, but after two years, she still had no idea. When she had asked Superman, he had said that he had been trying to figure it out for years ever since he first met Batman.

"Well this is unusual. Come to see Diana break another-"

"Out. Now."

Hawkgirl, as if under the command of another person, slowly edged her way out the sickbay. After their encounter with the Android that the papers had dubbed AMAZO, Flash had resumed his arguments against who in the League was more scary: Batman or Hawkgirl. While the Thanagarian had her scary moments, the Dark Knight won hands down. 

There was an awkward silence for a moment as neither said anything. It was…unusual for the two to be alone in each other's company. Normally, they were also surrounded by their fellow Leaguers. The only time that the two of them had truly been alone recently had been in on New Genesis and in her hotel room in Paris.

And every time she was alone with him there was this…this sensation she felt. She couldn't classify what it was, but it was strange. It almost felt like the delight she felt every time she engaged in battle.

It was Batman who finally broke the silence.

"How do you feel?"

"About the same as when your friend the Joker tossed me that exploding doll last year."

The Dark Knight's blank, white eyes narrowed dangerously.

"The Joker is _not _my friend."

He was right; she should have known better than to make such a statement.

After their run-in with the Injustice Gang while it was still being controlled by Luthor, it was Batman who had urged the rest of the team to share information on all of their known enemies in the event that something like that should happen again. It didn't matter how large or small they ranked on the scale of opponents; all could theoretically pose a problem.

Her mother had taught her to think like an opponent in order to understand their motivations. The others were easy. Lex Luthor hated Superman because he could not control the League's unofficial leader. Hades wanted revenge on the Amazons and Hippolyta. But of all of them, she had spent the most hours trying to determine what made the Joker tick.

And all she had to present for her findings was a bulkhead smashed in frustration and a temporary iced-mocha induced hallucinatory state. Trying to pierce the mind of the Joker was like trying to trying to prevent the heads of the Hydra from growing back. 

Flash had at first thought, even with what he had heard in Central City, that the clown was a joke and Batman given him the same look he was giving her now. He had continually stressed to all of them that the Joker was not a simple, spandex-clothed goofy super villain-wannabe. He possessed a frighteningly keen intellect, one of the most dangerous and sick men on the planet, a…what had he called him?

What was the word of Patriarch's modern world?

Ah yes, a sadist and was under no way to be underestimated . Superman had backed him up on that one, the result of his own encounter with the Joker during the incident in which he and Batman had first met.

Diana had been the sole exception in that category - at least until after the incidents with Hades and Aresia. She had shared with them the majority of Greek creatures that could theoretically pose a problem for the League, mainly Circe. Yet the witch had not made an appearance in the outside world for over two millennia and she hoped it would stay like that.

***

"Sorry. Any luck finding out what was going on with the _Javelin_."

"None. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up. Diana, I swear I will -"

__

"Lantern to Batman."

The Batman sighed and tapped his League communicator.

"Excuse me for a moment Diana."

"I'm here. What is it?"

__

"I just ran my own look over the Javelin_ - not that I don't doubt your analytical skills."_

He ignored the mock-insult. Why he could normally take it from Dick and the others, he was in no mood for this tone of conversation.

"And?"

__

"Nothing."

"I'm heading back down to Earth. I need a ride"

__

"Alright. I'll meet you in the landing bay in a few minutes. Lantern out."

Batman shut off the comlink and turned towards the bed-laden Amazon princess.

"One more thing - Why did you ask to see me first?"

"What? Well J'onn said I was saying your name in my sleep immediately after the sedative wore off. Something about 'wanting…you' or so J'onn said."

***

The Dark Knight's exterior remained impassive. Inside, however, his mental state had just upgraded to yellow alert. Protocols instantly began blocking out all feelings, leaving him with the inner emptiness that characterized him and that had caused the current wedge between himself and Nightwing.

***

"I mean if you're looking for a why, I would assume that perhaps it was the -"

It had happened again.

She had blinked and he was gone.

Diana couldn't suppress a smile this time.

__

How does he do that?

***

Leaving the room had had the immediate effect he had hoped for, with his mental state going down from yellow to 'normal' - at least what he considered normal. Whatever she felt about him could and _would _be dealt with as soon as this current crisis was resolved.

As he made his way to Landing Bay, the Dark Knight reached his hand towards the side of his head and tapped in a pre-coded sequence into his cowl's communicator. The signal was directed from the Watchtowers Communications relay to a WayneCom satellite in orbit and them beamed towards a sector on the outer reaches of Gotham City.

__

"Wayne Manor, home of the illustrious Wayne family and those in need of some serious psychiatric care."

Bruce grimaced.

"Very funny Tim. Put Alfred on the line."

__

"Now? Come on, I'm just getting-"

"Put. Him. On. Now."

__

"Yes boss."

There was a moment's silence before

__

"Yes, Master Bruce?"

"I need you to send the plane to Metropolis. I'll send the exact coordinates. Also tell Lucius to postpone the meeting with the investors until Tuesday. I also need Barbara to call up the records of all employees stationed at the Metropolis WayneTech facility and looks for any discrepancies."  


"_Understood Master Bruce. I will proceed as you have instructed. Will there be anything else?_"

"No. Thank you Alfred."

In the space of the last five hours, he had exhausted all possible investigative follow-ups to the mystery of why the Justice League's custom built craft had fired on one of its own.

At least on the Watchtower.

If they were going to solve this mystery, they had to go right to the source, to the WayneTech facility on the edge of Metropolis where the new _Javelin _had been assembled. There, he believed he would find the answer he sought and hopefully learn who it was that wanted Diana of Themyscira dead.

***

__

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter VI

Disclaimers: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics, Justice League: The Animated Series. I own the story and any original characters; no copyright infringement is intended.

Synopsis: JL-animated fic; Someone or something trying to kill Wonder Woman. As the JL attempts to deal with public scrutiny being directed at them in the aftermath of the Kasnia incident, the Amazon Princess becomes the target of several seemingly random but potentially lethal "accidents". It falls to the Dark Knight Detective to discover who wants her dead and why. But as he does, he must come to terms with his feelings for Diana.

Shadows and Scars: Part VI  
  
Though based primarily in Gotham City, the multi-billion conglomerate Wayne Enterprises operated numerous satellite facilities in cities all across the world, from Sydney and Athens to Star City and Coast City. The facilities dealt in everything from medical development to technological advancement. Others like the Metropolis branch, dealt with astrological research and aviation assembly.  
  
It was in the Metropolis facility that the _Javelin-7_-A had been assembled the previous week and where the Dark Knight Detective now found himself living up to his profession of investigation, observation, and detection, searching out potential clues into why the newest _Javelin-7 _craft had fired on a member of the Justice League.  
  
His physical search, however, had yielded little to nothing.

He had gone through stacks of paperwork, lockers, tool kits, etc. All he had found out of the ordinary was a "Girls Gone Wild" twelve-month calendar, abnormal to his eyes not just that it was two years out of date, but the month that he had first flipped had featured an …interesting take on Diana's Amazonian costume.

While Tim and Dick would most likely be amused at something like this, the Amazon known as Wonder Woman would most certainly not be – nor was the Batman, even though the closest he had come to seeing something what had been on the calendar had been weeks earlier at the beneficiary in Paris after Diana's dress had been totaled following the terrorist attack. He had eschewed love and human desires in favor of The Plan – and he would continue to do so until the day that his mortal coil was extinguished.

A rare smile came to the facial projection of the cowl.

Bruce had, even before his parent's deaths, never quite fond of Shakespeare, yet he had indulged Alfred's occasional quotes alongside his almost nightly reprimands towards his employer on his line of work.

_And speaking of which…_

He tapped the communications transmitter built into the interweaving of kelvar and nomex fibers.

"Computer, commence uplink with Cave."  
  
_"Uplink established."_

There was a momentary silence as the Batman knew his colleagues on the other end were preparing to open an audio channel.

_"Batgirl here."_

As a rule, the Batman never addressed his fellow fighters in the war on crime by their real names and vice-versa.  It was more than simply because of the risk of identities being exposed. The reason lay in the travels of his youth when had met a shaman that had taught him the art of the mask and how it symbolized shedding all aspects of the original identity and assuming the persona of that new one as long as the mask was worn.

Sadly, Dick, Tim, and most certainly the Flash failed in that concept and in his personal case, it was more of the other way around.

"_I take it the physical search's not going well_."

"It's not; what have you found?"

He knew Barbara liked to think of herself an oracle of information, especially given how limited her chances to operate in the field as Batgirl were becoming. True, she was long out of college, but the hassles of her daily job and her father's health were making it difficult. Nevertheless, she always enjoyed the opportunity to run the Batcave's mainframe with the ease she had always employed.

_"Nothing from my end either."_

As the Green Lantern known as John Stewart had been told three years previous, the women of the Amazon race were born for war and lived for the battle. Unfortunately, it was hard to wage war on non-Amazons and the League's assorted collection of costumed rogues when one was confined to the Watchtower sickbay.

Needles to say, the inactivity was driving the daughter of Hippolyta absolutely crazy.

She had tried to find other methods to pass what was sure to be her remaining hours in the sickbay until J'onn discharged her and the cellular regeneration was complete. So, she had spent the time trying to catch up at first by watching a show that Princess Audrey of Kasnia had recommended to her, a series called _Stargate SG-1_.

The series was typical of the programming that she had seen over the last three years in Patriarch's World: overblown and hard to understand, especially compared to Greek drama. However, she knew of the Egyptian gods very well and found the show's concept that these gods like Ra and Anubis had been in fact alien parasites called the Gou'ald, initially disturbing yet strangely fascinating at the same time.

Perhaps that was why Audrey had recommended it.

Yet, she had only been able to get through one or two episodes, so had instead opted to continue an experiment she had begun in examining Greek culture as seen through the eyes of Patriarch's world. This juncture consisted of reading the works of the poet Homer, most notably _The Iliad _and _The Odyssey_.

Her mother had known of Homer and had, when Diana had been a child, newly formed from the clay that had been given life by a gathering of gods and goddesses, but the tale she had told Diana over the years was far different from the one she was reading, namely the story's portrayal of certain events and individuals – but this was understandable, especially considering the Hades of myth and the Hades that the League had fought two years previous.

Still, there was one thing that remained consistent in both versions of _The Odyssey _and that was Odysseus, a selfless and noble man who performed many miraculous deeds using only his cunning and natural talents.

For these reasons, when she read of Odysseus, she could imagine Batman in that role. Of the men she had met since arriving in the world outside of her former island home he most--  
  
"Argh."

A shadow had fallen across the pages of her copy of Homer's epic. It was if someone was blocking the incoming sunlight from the view-port.

_Maybe it's Batman._

She found herself uncharacteristically giggling slightly. The idea of the Batman coming to her in bed was well amusing and since he had proven that he could appear and disappear at will--

Diana's smile dropped as she glanced out of the view port and saw the cause of the shadow.__

_Oh no..._

The Watchtower had been designed with state-of-the-art maneuvering thrusters and gyro-stabilizers that kept the station's movement to a minimum as it orbit high above  the blue, green, and white sphere of the Earth.

Needless to say, when an explosion rocked the Justice League's base of operations, something like _that _certainly didn't go un-noticed.

In the Monitor Womb, Superman grasped the handles of the chair of command, Flash and J'onn struggling to hold onto the shaking bulkheads. Alarm klaxons began blaring and the viewport blast-doors came crashing down.

"J'onn, status?!"  
  
The last Martian scanned his board and frowned.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly. As far as the sensor array shows, the Watchtower has suffered a hull breach."

"Exterior or interior?"

"Exterior."

"Where exactly?

He glanced at the board again and the color drained from the Martian's typical dark green complexion.

"Level 12, Section 31."  
  
Flash's eyes widened as even his often-slower-than-average brain put two and two together.  
  
"That's sickbay!"

None of the others listened to Flash as their eyes were drawn to the display monitors from one of the exterior holo-cameras recording Wonder Woman flying out of the breach in sickbay, despite her attempts to hold onto

Less than a second later, the control room was empty, devoid of all sound and movement save for the beeping of the alarm klaxon, save for that same monitor showing all members of the Justice League that were capable of unaided survival in space now pulling their comrade back from the vacuum of space and into the Watchtower shuttle bay.  
  
Batman stood atop the hill overlooking the facility once again. He could call down the orbiting Batwing at any moment and return to Gotham City. But he couldn't, at least not yet. Ultimately, neither his physical analysis or Batgirl's technological abilities had yielded any new clues into the mystery of the _Javelin_'s malfunction.

Maybe that's all it was, just a malfunction. Maybe he was too tired to clearly see all of the facts. Perhaps even--

"Batman!"

The Dark Knight snapped to attention, his face looking in any and all directions, a hand on the utility belt compartment containing his seemingly endless supply of Batarangs, ready to discharge the bat-shaped _shuriken _at his opponent, at the common or super criminal that disturbed his privacy and his solitude.

It was, however instead of a common thug or insane rogue, the Green Lantern. But as he was descending towards the hilltop, Batman could clearly see that John Stewart had a haggard look upon his face, instantly alerting him to the fact that something bad had happened.

"There's been another accident, hasn't there?"

Stewart nodded as he touched down in front of his colleague.

"Hull-breach in sickbay; it looks like an asteroid collided with the hull."

The Batman's eyes narrowed

"Is Diana alive?"

"Yeah, but just barely; Superman wanted me to get you."

Batman struggled to find words for a moment as his mind reeled.

First the Javelin had fired on Wonder Woman and now an asteroid had breached sickbay while she had been recuperating.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

"Let's go, now!"

Had either the Detective or the Emerald Knight stayed where they were for just a few moments before the former was ferried by the latter's emerald energies towards the heavens, they would have seen that they were not alone.

They, as well as the Batman's search through the facility, had been carefully observed and watched by a figure hidden in the shadows of the nearby buildings on the air-field in a manner that rivaled the Dark Knight's camouflage techniques.

This shadowy figure stayed in that position until the sun began to rise in the dawning skies and his dark recess began to retreat from the onslaught of the light. The figure smiled through the remnants of the inky darkness. Yes, the Amazon had survived.

But that had been expected.

In fact, that had been part of the plan in the first place. And _what _a plan it was.

Everything that had happened this far was _nothing _ compared to what would follow next and this figure knew that the others who had helped to shape this stratagem would agree.

But it was far from over.

In fact, none of these heroes, not even the Batman, had any real idea as to what had begun there this day.

_To be continued…_

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Author's Comments

Sorry it took so long to get up this next chapter. As always, I hope you enjoyed it. Based on Diana's conversation with Princess Audrey in _Maid of Honor _(where Princess Audrey teased Diana for having "feet of clay," and Diana's responsed with, "You have no idea") I'm going with Diana's post-Crisis origin for the animated _Justice League_.__


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